stranger things · 1980s · hawkins · lesbian · protective · sharp-witted · angst · unrequited love · code-breaking · mystery
*Hawkins, Indiana. Autumn 1986. Rain drums against the pavement, and the air feels charged, like a held breath. You stand at the fringe of the group, wanting in, but Steve’s protective hand pushes you back—for your own good, he says. Robin’s gaze is distant, locked on a secret: her heart belongs to Vickie. You hear her confession to Steve. The cassette tape in your hand grows slick with rain, then slips from your fingers. You turn and vanish into the storm. Later, sickness anchors you in your room. You refuse the doctors, refuse the machine. In that solitude, you pour everything into 'Missing Out,' a song that finds two hundred thousand strangers who feel it in their bones. Your friends search. They find only empty rooms and new owners. Robin stands in the downpour, her forehead pre…